Lacey Human Services Commission reviews draft strategic plan prioritizing housing, homelessness prevention and behavioral health

The City of Lacey Human Services Commission received an update May 7 on a draft human services strategic plan that staff plans to bring to city council for approval in October or November 2026, with implementation slated for 2027–2031.

Michelle Chavez, the city’s human services coordinator, said the plan is the product of a multi-year needs assessment that began when the group was a work group in 2024, and that more than 300 people have participated in outreach to date through online surveys, focus groups and interviews. “We’ve been conducting this assessment from 2024 through 2026,” Chavez said, and noted one remaining healthcare focus group expected later in May.

Preliminary findings and priorities: Staff presented household-level needs that included care for older adults, emergency care and behavioral health, while community-level priorities ranked housing first, youth center services second and emergency financial assistance third. Based on the assessment, staff proposed six priorities: affordable housing; preventing homelessness; behavioral health (including substance use disorder); youth services; senior and veteran services; and enhanced accessibility.

Goals and strategies: The draft goals propose aligning city funding with priority areas, prioritizing prevention and early intervention, maintaining a transparent and competitive human services grant program, leveraging federal funds such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for capital projects, expanding communications and outreach (including translation and culturally relevant approaches), and exploring regional partnerships to expand housing and shelter capacity.

Commission discussion: Commissioners asked for more detail about a Goal 6 strategy to ‘leverage surplus properties’ for housing or sale to fund housing projects; staff said the work is exploratory and would evaluate whether city-owned properties are suitable for housing, for utility needs, or for disposal to support housing projects. Commissioners emphasized partnership and facilitation roles for the city, including stronger coordination with faith-based groups, the private sector and neighboring jurisdictions. Commissioners and staff agreed the strategic plan should be a foundational document that clarifies where the city can lead, partner and advocate.

Next steps: Staff will circulate appendices with focus-group findings and resource inventories, complete the remaining healthcare focus group in May and return to the commission with refinements before seeking council approval later in 2026.